Around the Worlds
by CoffeeLovingNinja
Summary: Based towards the end of KH2. Sora and co. takes one last trip around the worlds before the final face-off with the head of Organization XIII. AKA - Riku pissing off Disney characters while Sora and Kairi play checkers.


Around the Worlds

A/N: I should be working on _How to be an Akatsuki Member, Just Saying,_or my summer reading project for the next school year, but I popped this out instead! XD Sorry! (Not…)

**Pairing:** Femme!Sora and Riku (Don't like? Don't comment. If you have a problem with it, take it up with the Kingdom Hearts II manga because it made gender bent-Sora cannon, fo' real!)  
><strong>Summery:<strong>Based towards the end of KH2. Sora and co takes one last trip around the worlds before the final face-off with the head of Organization XIII.

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><p>Prologue: The Castle That Never Was<p>

Heat lightning tore across the starless night sky of the World That Never Was. Thunder could be heard in the distance, along with the cries emitted by the thousands-strong swarm of heartless just outside the Castle gates. Rain and wind pounded on the concrete roof above the gang's heads.

Sora never liked storms. In her defense, she would always brush off her fear as the simple dislike of rain and the accompanying power-outages. But in all actuality, it was the lightning that scared her the most. Over the past few years, Sora had learned to accept the darkness, but those quick bursts of light, like a flash from a camera, always brought out the creepy things in the night in sharp clarity. It was like standing in front of God on Judgment Day, every sin one had ever committed on exhibit. Sometimes, it was best when the darkest memories of the past were left in the murky blackness, something that the lightning did not seem to agree on.

And that was why Sora was awake at such a late hour, pacing in front of a window among many in one of the Castle hallways. Sora had found sleep impossible while her mind waged war with not only the weather, but herself as well. Every flash of lightning reminded her of one of the lives she had executed, whether it be a Heartless, a Nobody, or one of the Organization members. Decapitated, stabbed through the chest, magicked away... What right did Sora have to end a life in such cruel ways? She didn't, and she was learning over time that living with that guilt was keeping her from growing up and out of it. Riku had accepted his past mistakes and had vowed that after they defeated Xemnas, he would never end a life again. Kairi had never really killed anything before, save for a few harmless bugs back on the Island. Sora had asked Goofy and Donald about how they dealt with this over-whelming feeling of self-horror, but all they could come up with was, "We did it to save the King and everyone else's hearts. We're heroes."

Sora did not feel much like a hero, especially when she considered the deaths of people she cared about, like Axel. Who could honestly say that the pyromaniac did not have a heart? It was obvious by his actions that he was in love with Roxas, and in turn Sora. Sure, he worked for the Organization, but he had turned against them many times. Some would call that disloyalty, but Sora thought it was justifiable. All Axel wanted was Roxas back. Could she truthfully say that she would not have done the same thing if she were trying to save Riku or Kairi?

And that only led Sora to consider the Organization's motives in the raw. Xemnas's goal was to collect enough hearts to create Kingdom Hearts through the creatures that he had not even created. The Heartless were all under Maleficent's control, and technically, so were the Nobodies. So, was the Organization even in the wrong in the first place? All they wanted was to have hearts again like their Somebodies, and they were not actually hurting any one to obtain their goal. They depended only on the death of the Heartless, which could only be obtained through the Keyblade Wielders. In the grand scheme of things, the Organization, albeit harsh, were in the right. So, did that make Sora a murderer?

"Sora, you look like you're thinking too hard again. You better cut it out before you hurt yourself," a deep voice chuckled from behind the brunette.

Sora whipped around to spot her best friend whom she had missed dearly after searching for him for so long. "Oh, ha ha. You are so funny."

A smirk played against the older teen's lips as he came to stand next to Sora. "Do I detect some sarcasm, Sora?"

A small pink tongue jutted out in immediate response, soon followed by, "Aw, you caught me!"

The two stood in comfortable silence as they watched the storm die down a little. Sora could not help but note how Riku could calm not just her, but seemingly the weather as well. Riku had always had a warm soul that could soothe even the most anxious person with his mere presence. Sora admired that trait greatly in her close friend, and wished to obtain a similar power with age.

"You're doing it again," the boy- no, man- said, poking Sora in the ribs.

"Doing what?"

"Thinking too hard. You know the long-term side-effects of that, don't you?"

Sora rolled her azure eyes at Riku's playful words. "I can't help it. My emotions seems to be on red-alert lately, and I can't stop thinking about the cause of it."

"What do you mean?"

Sora indulged Riku's curiosity with her earlier qualms of whether or not she could and should be labeled a murderer. When she finished, Riku could only stare up at the distressed sky, searching for the words that would set his best friend's heart at ease.

"I'm not sure what to tell you, Sora, but I guess my best answer to you is to not let the past way on you like this. What's done is done, and there's nothing we can do to change it. The best thing for us to do is try and never let ourselves be pulled into that kind of situation ever again."

"But it's not like we had a choice, Riku! The Keyblade chose-"

"You, Sora. It chose you, but you didn't and wouldn't have had to do anything about it if it weren't for my stupidity."

As soon as Sora saw the usual signs of self-loathing taking over Riku, she was ready to squash it. "Don't you dare start blaming yourself for all of this again, Riku. I've told you a thousand times that none of this is your fault!"

"And how many times has someone told you that you aren't a killer? Yet you still believe that you are?" he retorted harshly.

A blush crept up to Sora's cheeks. "It's different. You never hurt anyone."

Rage suddenly flashed in Riku's eyes, scaring Sora. "Don't lie to my face like that! I know I hurt you, Sora, as well as Kairi and our families. We all have the mental and physical scars to show it. At least I'm man enough to admit my mistakes and I am _trying_ to make it up to everyone."

"But you don't have to, Riku. No one ever blamed you. There's no one to apologize to and no one to forgive. We're all just happy that you're safe."

Riku stared at the young girl for a moment before he rested his forehead on her shoulder. Large hands and muscular arms wrapped around Sora's tiny waist, searching for and finding comfort in the embrace.

"I don't deserve someone as perfect as you, Sora. God gave me the best friend anyone could ever hope for, and I tried pushing you away. I am _so_ sorry. Please, _please_ forgive me…for everything. I never want to be the reason for you to cry ever again."

Once the initial shock of Riku's actions and words faded, Sora lifted a shaking hand to her cheek and let the flow of tears soak into her fingertips. After scrubbing away the apparent weakness, she returned Riku's embrace and replied, "Silly Riku. There was never anything to forgive. We're best friends, so why wouldn't I forgive you?"

Riku inhaled deeply before taking a step back, a hand still resting on her shoulders. "Thank you, Sora. I know I was supposed to be helping you, but you ended up helping me instead."

Riku's favorite smile made its appearance on Sora's face. "Anytime. What else are friends for?"

They traded grins before letting a comfortable silence envelop them once again. They stayed that way for quite awhile, simply starring at the brightly lit city below and enjoying each other's company. Riku studied Sora from all possible angles, comparing the differences that three years had made on her small frame and noting new ones. Needless to say, Sora had become prettier. She was slowly transforming into the female that she had denied to be her entire childhood thanks to Kairi's girly tendencies.

Riku _stared_. Her beauty was not like Naminé's, Kairi's, or the other Princesses of Heart. If possible, Sora had only managed to become even cuter than before, attracting Riku more and more as time passed. He missed being able to bask in her presence and note each point of beauty and flaw like the old days on the Island and was finding it harder to resist confessing to her than before. He wanted Sora to belong to him and no one else, which was easier said than done. Axel, if he were still alive, could testify to how utterly impossible it was to try and own Sora and/or Roxas. They were free spirits who could not, should not, and would not be tied down by someone else. They just did not work that way.

Memories of Tidus trying to woo Sora and Axel's attempts to keep Roxas from seeing Hayner and how both failed epically filled Riku's head, making him chuckle. He earned a lopsided smile from Sora in return.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I've missed you a lot, Sora."

Sora's eyebrows furrowed in minor confusion. "Why? I may not have been right next to you, but I've never left you, Riku."

Riku stared at Sora in shock at how deep the words had been without her knowledge. Sora may still seem ignorant to some things, but the ever-wise Roxas was inside her, refusing to be forgotten and impossible to ignore.

Kairi woke up next to a dog-man and a duck, both of which were snoring rather loudly. Being careful not to wake them, she snuck out of the room in search of her two closest friends.

She found Sora and Riku leaning up against one another, gazing up at the stars. They looked like any other fairy-tale couple, with their secret smiles and quiet laughter. Kairi's heart seemed to break in two with the unshakable feeling of being left out. Just because she had not been through all of the amazing adventures that Riku and Sora had did not mean she was not still their best mate. They were the three amigos of Destiny Island, and not even a swarm of 1000 heartless, a band of evil antagonists, or an Organization of emotionless maniacs could separate them…right?

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><p>AN: Soooo how was it? This bit was sort of angsty, but the story will get lighter. After all, how can Riku and Mushu in the same room not be funny? Oops! Did I just spoil the first chapter for you? My bad… XD


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